The present invention relates to an entertainment system including a video game machine for displaying an image of game characters, etc. on a display monitor to proceed with a video game in response to control input commands manually entered by the game player via a manual control input device, and to a supply medium for supplying to such an entertainment system a program and data providing operating guidance for the manual control input device with respect to each video game that can be played.
Conventional video game apparatus for displaying game characters, etc. created by computer graphics (CG) on a display monitor such as a television receiver or the like to proceed with a video game each have at least one manual control input device peculiar to the video game apparatus. For example, if one user or game player plays a role-playing game, the game player moves, presses, or rotates a plurality of control members on a manual control input device with his hands or fingers to move a game character or an object displayed on the screen of a display monitor.
Recent years have seen a number of game programs developed for entertainment systems including these video game apparatus. These game programs include many role-playing game programs, combat game programs, car race game programs, sports game programs, etc.
The game programs are supplied to video game entertainment systems from randomly accessible recording mediums such as CD-ROMs, memory cards, etc. or networks. When different video games are played according to the game programs, different functions are assigned to the control members on the manual control input device depending on the game programs.
Therefore, the different game programs are usually accompanied by respective printed user manuals showing how player characters and objects move when the user or game player operates control members on the manual control input device in certain ways. According to the recent trend of video games, displayed player characters and objects move in more complex patterns than before, requiring the game player to operate control members on the manual control input device in more complex patterns. The user manuals necessarily contain more explanations and instructions for teaching the game player how to operate the control members. The game player often finds the user manuals cumbersome to read before or when playing the video game.
One way to replace the printed user manuals for providing operating guidance to the game player is to give the game player voice guidance by way of audible training details. However, voice guidance is not effective because access to any desired point in the guidance is not easy and quick, and the game player needs to be in a quiet environment in order to be able to understand the voice guidance correctly.
According to an alternative scheme, an operating guide is displayed on the display monitor to give the game player a visual aid in understanding game instructions. The visual operating guide displayed on the display monitor only is not sufficient to enable the game player to gain an easy understanding of how to operate control members in complex patterns.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a supply medium for supplying an operating guidance program and data for displaying an operating guide on a display monitor and also displaying visual guidance on a manual control input device to give visual sensations to the user or game player in relation to the operating guide, and an entertainment system which is supplied with the operating guidance program and data from the supply medium for enabling the user or game player to visually recognize the operating guide on the display monitor and the manual control input device for proceeding with a video game.
An entertainment system according to the present invention includes a manual control input device for entering control commands, the manual control input device having a plurality of control members, a display monitor for displaying a game image, a video game machine for generating an image of a game character to be displayed on the display monitor in response to control commands entered by the manual control input device to proceed with a video game, a memory medium for storing an operating guidance program for displaying an operating guide on the display monitor and enabling the control members of the manual control input device to emit continuous or flickering light, and a processor for executing the operating guidance program stored in the memory medium based on control commands entered by the manual control input device.
A supply medium according to the present invention supplies an operating guidance program and data for displaying an operating guide on a display monitor and enabling control members of a manual control input device to emit light, i.e., continuous or flickering light, in relation to the operating guide.
The operating guidance program and data are capable of not only displaying the operating guide on the display monitor, but also producing visual guidance to give visual sensations to the user by controlling the control members to emit continuous or flickering light on the manual control input device. An entertainment system which is supplied with the operating guidance program and data allows the user to visually recognize the operating guide and to proceed with a video game on both the display monitor and the manual control input device.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which preferred embodiments of the present invention are shown by way of illustrative example.